South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-10-21
FEMALE SMUGGLERS.
How Their Baggage is Inspected
in New York.
Twenty-Five Business Women
Who Serve Uncle Sam.

resume the weil-worn pathway OF It's
daily avocations, score and two comely
women trip briskly through the shaded
walk of the Battery Park and enter the
big doorway of the new Barge Office.
The little troop are custom inspectors.
They are dressed for work and pretty
and bright-eyed, as some of them are,
all wear the plain clothing and stout,
broad-heeled shoes that are suitable and
comfortable in the performance of their
duties.
The 'Inspcctrcsscs, rs they are dcs-
ignatcd in the Civil List, get $3 a day
and, under the system devised by Sur
veyor Beattie, their labors have been OF
practical benefit to the government.
Their duties consist of examining the
baggage of the women who arrive from
foreign parts and very often of searching
the persons of the women who
are suspected Of attempting to
defraud the revenue by secret
ing dutiable goods. These latter exam
nations are made in little rooms on the
steamship wharves provided for the pur-
pose. In these days of big bustles and
Tower of Pisa hats the inspectors of
women's wiles are kept busy.
Women were first appointed inspectors
in June, 1861. They were then known
as temporary aids. There were only
two, namely, Sarah A. Genet and Mary
i. Wadham. At first the duties of these
two inspectors consisted in looking for
contraband letters. For instance, when
the Great Eastern made her second trip
to this country the passengers were sus-
pected of bringing information to the
Confederatcs, and the two official wo-
men were sent down the bay in small
boat to board the Great Eastern and ex-
anime the letters and papers of the fe-
male passengers. In August, 1862, Ru-
fus +. Andrews, then Surveyor of the
Port, appointed two more temporary
aids, and raised the wages from So to
So 80 a day. The number was gradually
increased till 1867, when nine of them
at So day had Eecn appointed. 1t was
about this time that the official title in.
spectress was bestowed upon them The
inspectresses were permitted to remain
Mt their homes, and reported for duty
only when summoned by telegraph.
They had to pay for the kilograms
Subsequently the Governm INT paid for
the kilograms, but the insPectresses were
still permitted to remain 81 their homes
until sent for. This system prevailed
until Surveyor Bcattic took the chair.
Inspectrcsses, like other women, like
to shop and visit, kilograms will some.
times go astray, and frequently the in
spectresses did not get to the wharves
until after the passengers had been
landed and had gone away. No record
was kept of assignments to duty or of
the performance of an assigned duty UNI
less a seizure was made.
Surveyor Beattie was in doubt
whether all the inspcctrcsscs should be
dismissed, or whether he should increase
their duties and adopt system to which
they could conform, similar TO that
governing the male inspectors. II was
decided that the large number Of women
travelling without escorts on the ocean
steamers required sharper looking after
than ever. The Surveyor, through
Collector MaSone. applied to the Secrc-
tary Of the Treasury for authority to in
crease the force. The Secretary ap-
proved, and after twelve women had
answered some civil service questions
the force was increased to TWENTY-FIVE.
Their names:
On June 23rd last, when the new ap-
pointments had been confirmed. Sur
veyor Beattie swept aside the old tradi-
lions Of the Office and ordered all the
inspectrcsses to report daily for duty at
the Barge Office, part of them at z
o'clock in the morning and the Others
at o'clock. They are relieved from
duty at O'Clock in the afternoon. un-
less a steamship is reported that will
pass Quarantine before shutdown. In
that event q contingent Of the inspec-
tresses is detailed TO the steamships
wharf The inspectrcsses have special
apartments in the Barge Office, which
are under the immediate charge Of Mrs.
Williams. While not on duty they sew.
read novels or study. Some Of them
are studying French and German.
Nearly all arc beyond the type writing
and stenography age, but all arc work
ers. Mrs Williams and several of her
associates arc expert tclcgraphers, and
have charge Of direct wire to ouaran.
tine.
a complete record is kept Of the time
when they report for duty, the vessels
TO which they are assigned, the number
Of pieces Of baggage they examine, the
amount Of duties they collect, and the
seizures made either from the baggage
or from the person, and in all other
respects the same system that governs
the male inspectors is carried out. The
money paid in wages 10 the increased and
organized force Is recovered in larger
customs receipts. For instance. for the
five years prior 70 June 23rd last. when